Sliding Doors
by kiwibliss
Summary: At times all it takes is a relaxing elevator ride to change your perspective. Not based on the movie, which is superior in every way. Another elevator ride, much later in the timeline.
1. Chapter 1

19. Just a brief encounter

"Zaeed wants to see you, Shepard. He's been unusually quiet since you came back from Zorya." Kelly Chambers had a smirk on her face as she announced this.

"Having a gun pointed at your head will sometimes do that to you." Shepard muttered, logging out of the terminal to her left.

"What did you say?" Kelly raised an eyebrow at her as she strode to the elevator.

"Oh, nothing." Shepard grimaced as she stepped into the elevator, pressing the large four like it had kicked her figurative puppy. The last thing that she wanted to do right now was to have another long, tedious conversation with Zaeed about his attitude towards this mission. In addition, if she heard another story about his cool and wacky mercenary days she was going to castrate him with Jessie.

The elevator came to a slow halt on the third level and she sighed, thankful that she'd have another few minutes to compose herself before arriving in the starboard cargo. With a quiet "shick" the elevator doors opened, revealing Thane standing patiently in the hallway. He stepped into the elevator, giving Shepard a courteous nod as he pressed the door close button.

Shepard's mood lightened immediately. She smiled and returned his nod "Thane." He returned her smile briefly, and then stepped slightly forward, reaching out with a black clad arm to press the large, red STOP button on the panel. The elevator came to an obedient halt, suspended between levels three and four. "Uhm… Thane, I hate to…" Before she could finish her sentence, Shepard found herself pressed against the elevator wall; at that point she'd forgotten what she was going to say.

Thane moved quickly, taking her in his arms and catching her mouth with his. They were against the wall seconds later, his hands on her hips, steadying her. His lips were soft but insistent against hers, and she parted beneath them, tasting the faint cinnamon of his mouth for the first time. There was no time to consider anything but his long tongue rubbing against hers, the hard muscle of his body tight against hers.

She clasped his hands; his scales felt pleasantly rough against her skin, like well-worn calluses. He broke from the kiss, trailing his lips to her ear, taking the lobe in his mouth and sucking. _How the hell does someone without earlobes know how to do that? _Her breath was hissing between her lips while her hands scrabbled for purchase on his slick overcoat, finally sliding upwards to touch the ridges on his head, which she'd long been curious about. His responding moan was transported directly to the ear that he was ravishing; score one for Shepard.

His lips moved back to hers for one more slow, deep kiss. Stepping back, he straightened his jacket, shaking his hands at his sides. They were both breathing quite heavily for a pair of people standing around in an elevator, and Thane's lips were a deep and swollen pink. Reaching casually to his side, already composed, he pressed the red STOP button again. The elevator hummed instantly to life and Shepard spent half a moment re-composing.

The doors slid open on the fourth level, revealing a sterilely lit, white walled hall. Thane cleared his throat next to her and extended his hand before him courteously, indicating that Shepard should exit. "I believe that Zaeed would like to speak with you, Siha." There was a distinctly mischievous glint in his eye as the doors "schicked" quietly closed in front of him, carrying him back towards the third floor. Shepard walked towards the starboard cargo with a renewed vigor. It was amazing how much an elevator ride could improve your mood.


	2. Relax Don't do it

The screen before had begun to waver, the letters and numbers rearranging into a language resembling the script marking prothean ruins. Shepard knew that she should rest, that it would be beneficial for her, but there is so much to do. Political machinations had never been her strong suit, but she there were few options at this point. Either the galaxy united into some badass, ultimate fighting force or it was prothean time for the lot of them.

"Coffee." She mumbled, forcing her unwilling legs into a standing position and staggering towards her cabin door. The door slid open just in time to keep her momentum going, propelling her towards the elevator door, which opened at the very last second. Tumbling in, she fell against a solid object. A tall object. A tall object clad in black, with lovely green skin. A tall object clad in black, with lovely green skin and a steaming cup in his hand.

"Coffee?" Her voice sounded pathetically hopeful, but she couldn't muster the will to care.

Thane nodded, placing the coffee in her trembling hands. "You've been working all day, siha. I was concerned."

After several delicate sips she could feel the first traces of caffeine, lighting up her neurons and causing synapses to wake up and look around groggily. A quarter of the way through the cup she felt at least as good as she had after the battle in the Collector base. She examined the cup, looking around the edges carefully. He hadn't spilled a drop, despite the fact that she'd hurtled into him like a husk. "Thank you. You're a love."

Thane watched her carefully, hands clasped in front of him, which she recognized as his "ready for action" pose. Apparently it seemed that she might fall at any second. She could hardly blame him, as her entrance had been less than confidence inspiring. "You are welcome." He finally intoned, nodding his head slightly.

They stood for a moment, Shepard drinking her mug little by little and Thane watching her idly. When she was finished slurping down the very last drop she actually felt like a full fledged human again. She was looking around for a surface to place the mug on when she noticed that they were still in the elevator. The elevator that was just sitting idle, perhaps twiddling it's mechanical thumbs and waiting for the two sapients on board to actually push a damned button. "We're not moving." She commented, as if she were revealing the mysteries of the universe to him.

"This is accurate." He regarded her seriously. "You need to relax, siha."

"What, in the elevator?" She quipped, half turning towards the doors to press the button for the crew deck. His hand stopped her before she'd so much as begun to reach.

"I am not letting you leave until you promise me that you'll rest."

Shepard stared up at him, hand still clasped in his. They'd done this contest of wills thing before and it always ended up the same way. The caffeine wasn't the only thing speeding up her pulse at the moment. She let go of the mug, barely hearing it thud to the floor as she reached up to stroke the ridges on the sides of his neck. "How, exactly, are you going to make me rest, Krios?"

His other hand grabbed hers mid stroke, turning it outward and bringing it towards his lips. "I have many ideas on that subject, siha." He kissed her palm gently, trailing his tongue down to flicker over the pulse point on her wrist. "Shall I show you them?" They moved together, him pressing forward with his hips against hers, her giving into that gentle press, until she was pressed against the left wall, her ass perched on the thin railing.

In what struck her as extremely inopportune timing, her brain started yammering about the elevator still being technically available. If someone pressed the call button on any of the floors below it would leap into action eagerly. Said person/alien would then be greeted with a spectacular view of partially naked drell, and while Shepard enjoyed that view quite a lot, she wasn't the sharing type. Thane still had both of her hands in his though, and he complicated things by pressing them above her head, against the elevator wall.

Situations like this called for creative solutions, and she was more than up to the challenge. Lifting her right leg off of the floor, she pointed her toes and slowly raised it towards the large, shiny STOP button approximately three feet away. Thane had not noticed her efforts thus far, but he did start paying attention when she arched her back for balance, pressing her breasts against his chest. He took this as an invitation, one that he was most assuredly pleased to respond to.

Holding her wrists in place with one hand, he trailed the other slowly down her arm, softly cupping one of the breasts that were so closely pressed against him. She miraculously managed to toe the button before his thumb started circling her nipple; she would have fallen if it weren't for him leaning against her, pushing her back into the wall with gentle pressure. She looked up at him. "Hmmm…" Her voice was throaty as he continued to softly squeeze and stroke. "You're off to a good start, Krios. I'm nowhere near relaxed though."

Dipping his head slightly, he brought his lips to hers, brushing them like a whisper against hers. His motions were small and teasing, tiny nibbling kisses that made her lips flush with frustration. She parted her lips to him, an obvious solicitation, but instead he took her bottom lip between his teeth, sucking it into the warmth of his mouth until she groaned in frustration. Lifting his free hand, he drew his fingers along her neck, splaying them at the base of her hairline; his tongue sliding deftly into her mouth, slipping over its roof and downwards where it twined with her own.

Thane tasted of cinnamon and ginger to her; they were the closest approximation of his exotic flavor in her limited human terms. His fingers were twined in her hair, rubbing the base of her skull in the spot that he knew brought her shivers. She groaned against his lips in frustration, wriggling her wrists in the grip of his hands. He chuckled and nipped her lips gently. "Not yet, siha."

His free hand was moving again, down and over her breast to the hem of her t-shirt, tugging it up to her neck with one hand. "Thane, if you want to take this shirt off of me you're going to have to let my hands go." Shaking his head, he leaned down and captured her nipple in his mouth, sucking it through the thin cotton material of her bra. Shepard stood up on her toes to allow him better access. "You're an ass." She moaned.

Drell tongues had many advantages over human tongues, something that she'd found out early in the intimate portion of their relationship. They were longer and more agile, for one, though it was not something readily noticeable in civilized company. His tongue lathed her breasts, tugging the nipples deeply into the heat of his mouth as he moved from one to the other, trailing moist kisses between them.

He released her hands suddenly, dropping his hand to the waist of her cotton pants as he lifted his head, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. The fused fingers of his hand were toying with her, dipping beneath the waistband of her pants, and then drifting back up again, almost in rhythm with his tongue against hers. She grasped his hand with hers, pushing it firmly beneath the waistband to the warmth between her thighs. His fingers slid slowly down, then up, caressing her through the fabric of her panties.

"Do you like this, siha?" Leaning forward, he placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Or would you prefer…" His throaty voice trailed off as his fused fingers began to rub between the folds of her sex. She was pressing into his hand as hard as she could, her breath coming in short pants as she felt the heat build and build.

"Prefer what?" Her voice was ragged, her hips circling in rhythm with his fingers.

"I thought, perhaps you'd find it more relaxing if I used my… tongue." His voice was barely a whisper in her ear, low and sultry. Her muscles clenched, and the pleasant ache in her sex was amplified; she imagined his tongue on her and found that the image alone was nearly enough to drive her over the edge.

"Fuck yes." Her voice was broken now; she was barely able to squeeze the words from her constricted throat. Swiftly, he moved, wrapping his hands around her thighs and picking her up. She wrapped her calves behind his hips, holding on to his shoulders as he moved them the few feet to the junction of the walls, placing her in the corner, propped on the spot where the railings met. He hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her pants and panties, pulling them down her legs.

Her hands grasped his shoulders for balance, digging into the pebbled textured of his skin. Apparently he'd opted not to wear his jacket, as if he knew what was going to happen when he came to her quarters. Thane slid his hands up the insides of her legs, from calves to thighs, parting them gently and positioning himself in front of the gap between them. The soft edges of his scales slid over the sensitive skin like a thousand little individual fingers, and she drew her breath in sharply. He reached forward, caressing the softly curled hairs, his face so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her.

Looking up at her, he leaned forward, flicking his pink tongue over her experimentally. She sighed his name as a hot spike of pleasure shot through her; settling into a rhythm, he parted the folds, tongue delving in to stroke her clitoris. The pleasure center in her brain went on high alert, sending the message to every nerve in her body. The hallucinogen was in full force now, and she was vibrating with sensation, most of it emanating from the spot Thane was lavishing with attention. Shepard could feel all of the muscles in her pelvis contract and release in a steady, pulsing cadence, her hips following the rhythm.

Her legs had begun to quiver, and he levered them over his broad shoulders, supporting her weight easily as he brought her closer and closer to her release. Words slipped from her mouth in an incoherent torrent of moans and sighs, most of them variations of his name and 'yes'. Thane slipped his fused fingers into her, curling them towards her pelvic wall and she spasmed against him, her head thrown back against the cold metal wall, a strangled cry escaping her lips. Every cell in her body had dissolved into a puddle of bliss; she felt as if she herself could gladly follow as she sagged into his waiting arms.

Leaning down to gather clothes along the way, Thane supported a wobbly legged Shepard on their way out of the elevator, reaching over to hit the STOP and open button. The door slid open with a lovely _schick_ as they passed out of the elevator and into her cabin. Shepard groggily stumbled over to her underwear drawer, pulling out a clean pair of military issue whites and gingerly slipping them on. She was so tired, and every part of her was extra sensitive due to the amount of drell saliva she'd ingested recently.

She lay on the bed and Thane slid in next to her a moment after removing his clothing, curling around her and pulling the covers over them both. The thought hit her suddenly as she snuggled into his chest; he was probably going to bed with a wicked case of blue balls… or teal balls in his case. She didn't care if she was exhausted; there was absolutely no way that she would leave him in an unsatisfied state. Trying to put this into a coherent sentence was turning out to be a challenge, however.

"Thane. Can't sleep. You didn't get… stuff. Need to _garbled rambling_…" In her head she was sitting up and speaking all of this in a loud, clear voice. A sexy and commanding voice, even. In reality, most of her sentences were spoken directly into his chest, with her arm thrown over her head, muffling her voice even further.

Thane was fluent in dosed Shepardese, however, and got the gist of what she was saying. "Siha, tonight my concern was for you. Your pleasure is my pleasure, which is as it should be." He stroked her silken hair, placing a kiss on the crown of her head. "Now is the time for you to sleep." His words followed her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~*~

Jack had been pressing the button for the elevator for fifteen minutes. She'd considered blasting the cover off of the nearest ventilation shaft and crawling through the vents like she was fucking Krios, but the idea that she would be forced into that situation just pissed her off more. She tapped her foot and glared at the doors, willing them to open. It figured that an elevator designed by Cerberus engineers would be a piece of shit.

She was about to call up EDI and give her an earful, or AIful, when the elevator made a pleasant dinging noise to indicated that the carriage had landed. Jack stepped in as soon as the doors opened, jabbing the button for the crew quarters. She was hungry as hell at this point and her amp was giving her a wicked headache. Gardner was going to hear about this; he should be on top of maintaining this creaky old bucket.

A white spot in the corner caught her eye as she paced the floor. Reaching down, she realized it was a crumpled piece of white cotton; white cotton underwear to be specific. Someone had been getting busy in the elevator, which explained the delay. She hoped that they'd had a hell of good time making her wait forever.

The underwear was women's without a doubt. Miranda didn't wear any, if her tight-assed getup was any indication, so that narrowed it down to the other human females onboard. Kelly was a kinky bitch, so she was an option. Jack didn't know the extraneous crew that well, but she was going to do some sniffing around, that was for sure. She stuffed the panties in her pocket for safekeeping; opportunities for blackmail were something that she couldn't turn down under any circumstances.

By the time she reached the mess hall, Jack had forgotten completely about harassing Gardner.


End file.
